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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Human language

http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=210

A lesson plan for grade 8 Science

Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science


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In this Science Update, students explore a scientific theory that people all speak the same language. David Lightfoot, a linguist at Georgetown University suggests that there is just one “human” language. Lightfoot says that a universal system—regardless of what particular language is being spoken—has certain properties like sentences of any length that contain words that fall into categories, like nouns, verbs, and prepositions. Science NetLinks provides a link to the audio file, a written transcript, and questions to engage students in discussion about the properties of human language, what factors separate one language from another, and how is understanding language important to understanding evolution. This activity also contains links to an interactive database of human languages, a central database of web resources devoted to human language, information about languages that were deliberately invented, and a site that describes primates’ use of language.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Science (2005)

Grade 8

  • Goal 1: The learner will design and conduct investigations to demonstrate an understanding of scientific inquiry.
    • Objective 1.01: Identify and create questions and hypotheses that can be answered through scientific investigations.
    • Objective 1.05: Analyze evidence to:
      • explain observations.
      • make inferences and predictions.
      • develop the relationship between evidence and explanation.
    • Objective 1.08: Use oral and written language to:
      • Communicate findings.
      • Defend conclusions of scientific investigations.
      • Describe strengths and weaknesses of claims, arguments, and/or data.
    • Objective 1.09: Use technologies and information systems to:
      • Research.
      • Gather and analyze data.
      • Visualize data.
      • Disseminate findings to others.
    • Objective 1.10: Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing:
      • Scientific text.
      • Articles.
      • Events in the popular press.
  • Goal 5: The learner will conduct investigations and utilize appropriate technologies and information systems to build an understanding of evidence of evolution in organisms and landforms.
    • Objective 5.02: Correlate evolutionary theories and processes:
      • Biological.
      • Geological.
      • Technological.